Li calls for advancing ties with Kyrgyzstan

China and Kyrgyzstan agreed on Wednesday to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, enhance connectivity by accelerating the construction of key projects including the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and expand cooperation in all areas in order to bring more benefits to their peoples.

The two countries signed multiple bilateral cooperation documents on adjacent-area cooperation, the digital economy, local friendly exchanges and infrastructure after the talks between Premier Li Qiang and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Akylbek Japarov.

The leaders also jointly unveiled the plaque for a China Cultural Center in Bishkek, the first of its kind in the Central Asian region.

Li is currently in Kyrgyzstan on an official visit. He will attend the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states in the country's capital.

During his talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart, the premier underlined the need for the two countries to implement their mid- to long-term economic and trade cooperation plan and expand cooperation in emerging industries, such as advanced manufacturing, new energy vehicles and smart agriculture, to cultivate new growth drivers.

He called for deepening people-to-people exchanges in healthcare, education, culture and tourism sectors, in order to promote mutual understanding among the two peoples.

Li expressed China's willingness to strengthen coordination in multilateral affairs with Kyrgyzstan, build a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future and carry forward the "Shanghai spirit" under the SCO framework.

This will help inject more certainty and positive energy into regional stability and development, thus contributing to world peace, security and development, he said.

Calling 2023 a fruitful year for bilateral ties, Japarov said the Kyrgyzstan-China relationship has reached its highest level in history since the two nations elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era during Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov's visit to China in May.

The Kyrgyz prime minister expressed his country's firm support for China on issues related to the Taiwan question, the Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and other issues concerning Beijing's core interests.

Kyrgyzstan is ready to deepen its Belt and Road cooperation with China, boost connectivity and expand partnership in economy and trade, tourism, education and other areas, he said.

Noting his country's support for the Global Security Initiative and other significant initiatives proposed by China, Japarov said that Kyrgyzstan will join hands with China to crack down on terrorism, separatism, extremism and transnational organized crimes, and deepen China-Central Asia cooperation for regional prosperity and stability.

When meeting with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on the same day, Li said that China is willing to work with the Central Asian nation to fully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state in May, promote greater progress in bilateral cooperation and build a stronger, more dynamic and effective China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future.

Li said the two countries should complement each other with their industrial strengths, expand the scope and scale of economic and trade cooperation, and maintain stability in industrial and supply chains.

It is necessary to start the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway at an early date as part of the efforts to build a multidimensional connectivity network, he said.

The premier also met on Wednesday with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who is in Bishkek to attend the SCO meeting.